Supplier spotlight: Cupcakes by Sonja

Four.

I have inquired with four different bakers to find the one who'd not only be able to create the wedding cake I want but also at a price that wasn't too unrealistic.  I also kept shifting wedding cake ideas from cupcake towers to tiered cakes to a cake buffet.  Price, design, and taste all played a role on how difficult it was for us to find the one (final wedding cake design as well as the wedding cake supplier).

Of all the suppliers on our list, only Cupcakes by Sonja met our requirements.  Though it certainly didn't hurt that I was a fan of her cupcakes from way back to 2008 (so taste-wise, we already know what we're getting).  Her dessert creations is so much part of our relationship that I could remember two instances (on top of countless dates that ended with a cupcake or began with a cupcake) wherein Mr. J bought me (our favorite) Pistachio Berries n Cream just to make me happy: one time was after we had a semi-big fight; another time was when I was so pissed off because I had to work on a weekend (at around midnight, at that).  It was only natural that Cupcakes by Sonja would be a part of our wedding, too.

Some of the cupcake flavors that would be present at our wedding (from the Cupcakes by Sonja website):

Pistachio Berries n Cream

Vanilla Sunshine

Red Velvet

Chocolate Surprise

Chocolate Overload

Corresponding with the company was easy and Mitch (who was the one coordinating with me) would often answer my queries within a day or two.  Mr. J and I also met with Ms. Sonja Ocampo (the owner) and am delighted to report that she's so down to earth and easy to transact with.  In the end, we not only decided to have them do our wedding cake (we got such a good price for a 5-tiered vintage fairy tale inspired cake) but also got individual cupcakes (with customized design) as wedding favors as well as mini-cupcakes that would be added to our dessert buffet (note to self: need to ask Bizu to provide extra plating for this).

Wedding cake: check!  We're definitely more than half-way to finding wedding suppliers for July 14, 2012.  So excited!

Supplier spotlight: Bizu

I could let go of having Bizu do the whole reception dinner.  BUT.  I will not pass up the opportunity to have a valid excuse to have a Bizu dessert spread. 

Ever since I had a taste of their macarons, I was hooked.  Then I had a taste of their French cakes, I was beyond hooked.  We would sometimes go to Greenbelt (upon my insistence, of course) just so I could satisfy my Bizu craving.  We spent numerous dates at their restaurant in Greenbelt 2, I would sometimes prepare snacks for Mr. J using the ciabatta or focaccia bread I'd buy from their Glorietta 4 branch (on my way home), and on countless times, we would order for take-out either a cake (oh Nirvana!) or a macaron (pistachio!) or both!  Given this, it is only fitting that we have Bizu desserts for our wedding reception dinner.

Source: Bizu Patisserie

It was easy dealing with Kaye, our AE from Bizu.  I made the reservation last March on a wedding expo Mr. J and I attended.  We didn't really need a food tasting anymore but I was pleasantly surprised that it's part of the package to help us choose the pastries for the buffet spread (you can select 8-10 types from cakes to truffles).  Seriously, who can resist free dessert especially when it's this many:

My camera phone and limited photography skills does not do justice how cute (not to mention, delish!) these little desserts were.  

The amount per head depends on the number of guests you'll have.  As usual, the more guests you want to feed, the lesser the price (of the per head) will be.  A few more inclusions of our package:

- Set-up of buffet table complete with food labels
- Floral centerpieces
- Buffet attendant
- Professional chefs for plating and design of desserts
- Refrigerated delivery

A few more tidbits:

We paid Php5,000 to reserve our date and also got a 10% discount for making the booking at a bridal fair.  After the food tasting, we paid 50% since we had finalized the dessert selection already.  The remaining balance would be paid upon delivery.

Supplier spotlight: Jing Tanada

*just a little something about me: Whenever I find something I really like (perhaps a cute dress on display, to-die-for shoes, drool worthy cakes, or even a passing-by adorable little puppy), I make this soft (but loud enough for the next person beside me to notice) deep inhale reaction.  This is actually how Mr. J knows that I just spotted something I like/love*

This was the reception table centerpiece that got me asking: who took my breath away?  The name Jing Tanada didn't really ring a bell and so being the 'Net surfer addict that I am, I Googled her.  Found her works, love her works, decided that we would make her our only choice for florist/stylist.  When we first met, my first impression was that she's very unassuming and very nice.  Quite experienced, too, she told us she's been in the floral business for a long time now (10 years or more, I believe).  It was a short meeting (30 minutes, I think) because the only important matter for us was if, again, she's someone we would like to work with (she is) and if she would fit our budget (she did... eventually. haha.  though still pricey.)

We booked her by paying (via bank deposit) 50% of the agreed package (entourage flowers, church, and wedding reception decors).  I super can't wait on what she'll do for our wedding.

Here are other wedding decorations that she's done that took my breath away (over and over again):

*All images (except last picture) were grabbed from Jing Tanada's facebook profile.

Supplier spotlight: Bob Nicolas

I have been watching countless wedding videos even before I got engaged.  For the longest time, the only name I associated with wedding videography was that of Jason Magbanua.  He was the only one that impressed me enough to want me to spend crazy amount of money just for 5 minutes worth of video (that's for the SDE --- for the uninitiated, SDEs or Same Day Edits, are 3-5 minutes worth of video taken during the wedding morning preps until the early parts of the reception.  Kinda like a summary of the events that day that is edited in a romantic and beautiful manner and shown sometime during the reception).

When I joined the W@W e-group, it was then that I added another name, next to Jason's.

Bob Nicolas.

I remember attending the videofest special in honor of Jason and only enjoying one presentation: Bob's.  He was the only one Mr. J liked during that videofest, too.  When we were at the Manila Pen bridal fair, we found out that Mr. Magbanua was no longer available for our wedding date.  Perhaps, it's fate, but Bob Nicolas' booth was adjacent to Jason's.

He wasn't around that time but we set a meeting thru his wife, Lette, who was manning the booth at that time.  A few days later, we were having a very short (probably didn't last 15 minutes) discussion with both Bob and his wife.  We didn't really have a lot of questions; at the most, we asked if he'd feel restricted if we have certain requests for the SDE (he said he wouldn't mind and welcomes inputs from clients), we asked how many they are in the team (5-7, I can't remember exactly), we asked how long he's been in the industry of video-making (I can't remember the exact number but I do remember it's more than 6 years already since 6, in my mind, was the required no. of years of experience to justify the amount we're paying for his services), we asked what camera he uses (told us it's from the Canon brand --- forgot the model but I remember asking a photo-hobbyist friend of mine and he told me it's the HD-capable expensive one).  Most importantly, we wanted to see if we had rapport and if he's the type we'd like to work with: verdict is yes!  He and his wife we're so down-to-earth to the point that when we asked if they preferred crew meal allowance or food served during the wedding, he answered that they'll be OK even with just sandwiches.  Needless to say, we booked and paid the reservation fee a few days later via bank deposit.

Here's a link of (in.my.opinion) one of the most romantic and touching SDE videos he's done.

Supplier spotlight: K. by Cunanan

I previously blogged about enjoying the food tasting we had with K. by Cunanan catering company.  And true to what I said, we just waited for a bridal fair (it was last February as well) to make a reservation (TIP: you get a freebie if you book them during bridal fairs).

So why did we choose them as our caterer?

1)  Food was yummy.

 

Source: Fried Spinach Ravioli (love this!) from Bridal Book

Source: Honey Nut Prawns (i.super.love.this) from i.heart.vanilla.bean

Honestly, we were only choosing between K. by Cunanan and Bizu.  The other catering companies I know had mixed reviews about them (food and service) and we were willing to spend more cash if it means that we would get delicious food and great service.  Anyhoo,  I've always enjoyed the food served at Bizu but Mr. J wanted another option.  I told him of the raves I've been hearing about KbyC and he agreed for me to set a food tasting with them.  I found it cute that after the food tasting, he was already telling me to make sure of certain dishes to be included in the menu.  That was my sign that we have indeed found our caterer.

2)  So far, service has been great.  Our AE, Kar, responds to queries well and fast (sometimes just within a day, at times a week or two, which I don't mind at all).

3)  They got style.

Source: Bridal Fair setup from KbyCunanan

I have not seen a wedding that they decorated that I did not like (which is saying something since most of the time I don't really go for the minimalist look).  However, the package we're getting doesn't include flowers since we wanted them to be able to focus on the food preparations.  But, we're still using some decorations from them and Kar has been generous in providing for decor ideas as well.  Besides, this way, it feels like we're getting two stylists (K. by Cunanan and Jing Tanada) instead of just one.  I sure don't mind getting all the help I can get for our dream wedding.

4)  Price is just right.  We're getting a cocktail hour (with proper cocktail food rather than some-variety-of-nuts being served), almost complete dinner menu (appetizer, salad, soup, 4 dishes + lechon minus desserts) and unlimited iced tea (and no, it's not your typical Lipton iced tea flavor) all for a per head cost that's perfect for our budget.  Had we gone with Bizu, we probably would have spent a little more.  Had we gone for the more commercialized catering groups, we probably would have saved money but then again, we probably would be serving nuts only during cocktails.  Now that, I cannot let happen.

5)  I also like that they're quite flexible to requests.  For example, we're getting a ratatouille dip for the bread platter.  Now, if you're familiar with their menu, you'd know that this sauce is not included for the bread selection dips (it's for another dish served during cocktail).  However, because Mr. J and I are fond of tomato-based dips even for bread, Kar, was the one who suggested this.  We initially wanted for the marinara sauce but she suggested for the ratatouille instead to avoid redundancy since we're already serving the marinara for the fried spinach ravioli during the cocktail hour.

I love eating and K. by Cunanan is one of the many reasons why I can't wait for our wedding day.  Marrying Mr. J tops that list. =)

April 2011 Updates

Two weekends ago was very productive for our wedding preparations.  Last April 2, Mr. J had an advance birthday celebration on a restaurant with his family (me attending was a special request of his).  Together with his siblings (5), parents, some Titas, a Tito, and two Lolas, it was future-relatives-in-law overload for me.  See, I'm not big on family gatherings, mine or otherwise.  They've always made me feel uncomfortable because I always felt that you had to act a certain way around certain people --- family dynamics, politics --- whatever it's called, all I know is that it's not something I ever look forward to.  Anyway, I'm happy to report that I survived that evening quite nicely (thank you Lord!).  Hopefully, come wedding day, I'll be doing more than just surviving.  =P

The next day, which was a Sunday, we headed to the Manila Peninsula Hotel to check out the bridal fair "Wedding at the Peninsula 2011: Celebrating 35 Years of Elegant Weddings & Traditions".

Actually, our primary purpose was to meet with Jing Tañada (who was joining her first bridal fair) and discuss the quotation that she sent me (it was higher than our budget).  With regards to the wedding exhibit, though there weren't a lot of suppliers to choose from, I'd definitely recommend this bridal fair to anyone planning an event or if you just happen to like all things pretty.  The staff of Manila Pen was very accommodating even beyond the registration booth, there wasn't a lot of people which is a nice change from all the very crowded wedding fairs we've visited in the past, there's free food tasting and cocktails (we didn't bother with this one since we already had a venue to begin with), and best of all, the exhibitors were the best of the best in their respective industries (the like of Jason Magbanua and Bob Nicolas for wedding videography, The Write Impressions for invitations, Baicapture for photobooth, etc).  The only not-so-happy experience (for a second or two) I got while we were there would be when I found out that JMag is already taken for our wedding date.  Though I was surprised that he's booked already (that's 1 year and roughly 4 months before our wedding date) for a month that's not really considered a peak date for weddings, I'm more surprised that I wasn't affected as I though I would.  Luckily for us, Bob Nicolas (who's video in the tribute event for Jason Magbanua is one of the videos or perhaps the only video Mr. J liked) was also participating in the fair.  Bob wasn't around but his wife, Lette, was and so we setup a meeting for the following Tuesday (Mr. J's actual birthday).

The next day, we went to Bizu's Greenbelt 2 branch to have our scheduled food tasting (we had to choose the selection of desserts we'll be having for the reception).  Then on Mr. J's birthday, I cooked him lunch.  This is a very big deal to me since if I had to rate my cooking skills, I'd give it an average and that's just me being generous in grading my self.  LOL!  After lunch, we went to SM Megamall to meet with Bob and his wife.  Hopefully, I won't be lazy again and will be able to blog regarding our meeting with our official florist (yes, we did book Ms. Jing already after the Manila Pen discussion), dessert tasting at Bizu (it was pure heaven!), and talking with Bob and his wife (it didn't even last more than 15 minutes).

Supplier spotlight: J Lucas Reyes

I have favorite photographers abroad, but up until I found JLR, I had none locally.  I realized this last December when I deposited the booking fee required to secure our date with J Lucas Reyes.

You see, before I saw his works (thru the ever reliable Weddings at Work e-group), I wasn't sold on who we would get as our wedding photographer.  I had choices and there was one that Mr. J liked but I could sense that it was more of a "yeah, kinda like him but could be better" attitude towards the choice I presented.  Actually, I also had this attitude towards the original choice we had.  The shots were nice and all but they didn't make my heart skip a beat.

Enter J Lucas Reyes.

Source: Photography by J Lucas Reyes

The way he captures the light reminds me of photos of weddings that are usually featured in Style Me Pretty.  They are just aww-inducing, made-my-heart-skip-a-beat, gorgeous (!!!) wedding/engagement pictures.

After seeing the wedding photos from this set, I knew then that I had found our photographer.  I still had to get Mr. J's approval (I do the research, he gives the final stamp of approval) and luckily (thankfully), he liked them too (told me it was better than the original photographer I had in mind).  We set up a meeting the soonest possible (it was the week before Christmas) and am happy to report that he's just as nice in person as he is in our email exchanges.  I got to see some raw copies of his works and they were just as beautiful as the edited ones.  For the edited shots, he has concocted his own brand of photography called 'Filmtastic'.  I'm not sure how to explain this concept as I'm not very familiar with how cameras work (I'm a point-and-shoot kind of girl) and although I did understand it when he explained it to us, I'm not sure how I'd be able to translate it into words.  Better look at his blog (highly recommended) to see for yourself.  Or shoot him an email for inquiries and rates.  I expect his rates have increased by now but we were able to get a price lock for booking early.  Gotta love being an early bird. =)

Food tasting with K. by Cunanan

Mr. J and I (along with a friend) went to a food tasting last Tuesday.  It was my first and probably last food tasting I'll ever attend.  No, it's not because I did not enjoy the experience;  on the contrary, the food and attention the AE (Kar Reyes) gave us was so superb that we are only waiting for an upcoming bridal fair so that we can pay the reservation fee and officially check the caterer off our wedding checklist.

The caterer we inquired (and had food tasting) with is K. by Cunanan.  Their rates aren't cheap but still very reasonable.  Besides, they're still not as expensive as the original caterer I had in mind (Bizu).  Most importantly, the food was just beyond yummy.  And I know it sounds like I'm exaggerating but trust me, I'm not.  See, I'm no fish eater and yet they managed to get me to eat a fish dish (one that we'll be serving as part of our reception menu as well).  Mr. J is no veggie eater and yet, surprisingly, he finished the squash soup that was served (as in, all of it).  Now, that's such a statement of how the great the soup must've been.  After all, he has very little want to eat vegetables (in solid or liquid form) that if we were to order spring rolls, he'd diligently slice it open and take out the vegetables that he doesn't eat.

Weee!  I'm so happy that little by little, we're managing to book the suppliers that we want.  Next stop: Videographer... or florist.  I haven't decided on this yet.

PS.  Here's the list of dishes that was served to us (I, unfortunately, was too lazy and hungry to take pictures):

1) Spinach and feta fried ravioli with marinara sauce - Love, love, love it!  As early as now, Mr. J is already telling me to make sure that come our wedding day, we'd have this for take-out.
2) Hoisin chicken wraps - Love it!
3) BBQ chicken salad - Love it!
4) Squash soup - A dish that I had qualms about but turned out to be something I'd enjoy too.
5) Honey nut prawns - In the words of Rachel Ray "Yum-o!"  I swear, I was tempted to ask if we could have the remaining two shrimps for take-out. =P
6) Grilled snapper with mango salsa and coconut cream - It's fish and I enjoyed it.  'Nuff said.
7) Pepper-seared steak with mashed potatoes - Yummy!  Will definitely make it part of our wedding menu.
8) Carrot rice - Good but not as mind-blowing good as I thought it would be considering the raves I've read.
9) Apple crumble with vanilla ice cream -Enjoyed it but I think I'd like to try some of the other desserts just to check if there's something better.
10) Mango panna cotta - Enjoyed it but not as much that I'd want it served in our wedding.
11) Raspberry iced tea - Not too sweet and very refreshing.

Supplier spotlight: Santuario de San Jose

Yesterday, Mr. J and I booked our church.  Yes, we now have a church.. and it's Santuario de San Jose Parish (SSJ as it's sometimes referred to).  It's a quaint church that is located inside a posh subdivision in Metro Manila.

Source

It was only my second time to visit the place.  The only other time was for my cousin's wedding last year.  I knew then that I had found IT (our church, that is).  When I told Mr. J about it, he also said he liked the church from what he remembers (their family used to attend Sunday mass there when he was a kid).  And so this year, when we got engaged, I had been calling the parish office since July to inquire when they would be accepting reservations for 2012 weddings.  By late October/early November (I can't remember if it was before Halloween or after it), the woman who answered my call said that they would be accepting bookings for 2012 on the first week of December.  Woohoo!  I was super excited that I immediately informed my boss that I would be taking a one day vacation leave on Dec. 3.  Yes, I was that excited.  And I also wanted to make sure that Mr. J and I would be able to secure the date and time that we wanted.  I even sent Mr. J a text message to inform him that he too would should take a leave of absence on that day.

Source: Smart Shot Studio

So why do I love the place so much so that I made sure we reserve it the minute the 2012 wedding book is open?

1. I have never been a fan of long aisles.  SSJ is the perfect church for this.  It definitely is spacious enough for 150 guests but not too big that it will have too long of an aisle and show too many empty church seats for the number of guests we had in mind.
2. It's inside a gated subdivision.  I liked how the surrounding area itself is not busy and noisy.  There are no lurking street vendors outside the church.  And most importantly, it's not super accessible (it being inside a gated community) to the public which would mean not too many outsiders come our wedding day.
3. They are not too strict with the wedding dress code.  There's a dress code alright but at least, compared to some churches, they allow strapless neckline.
4. They will allow non-religious/love songs for the bridal march, recessional, and picture-taking.  This was another one of those other considerations that gave me a "this is IT" feeling.  I have no beef with "only religous songs in the ceremony" rule but for my bridal march, I only have one song in mind.. and that song is not religious music.
5. Price is just right.  They say that P25,000 is expensive for a church fee.  I say it's just right (but I wouldn't complain if it's lesser, of course).  The parish church, after all, is taken care of nicely, the fee comes with air conditioning (P18,000 if without aircon), simple floral arrangements (though, I might get a separate florist as I have a thing against the typical calla lily arrangement.. and definitely no mums for me), a soloist and organist (I think I'd prefer a string quartet), and red carpet.  You've got the basics to make a wedding happen.

Our wedding is at 2 o'clock in the afternoon.  The Saturday wedding schedule is also something that I like: 9 and 11 (AM), 2 and 4 (PM).  For me, the interval between the weddings (you have one and a half hour) and that there are only two weddings in the afternoon promises a solemn church affair and not have the need-to-get-this-done-and-over-with-so-next-couple-can-wed feeling.

After all, I want to be able to savor that moment: first kiss as husband and wife, exchanging of vows and walking down the aisle like it's my own runway.

PS.  We also now have a wedding gown designer (or make that, I now have a wedding gown maker).  I have been a fan of her works for the longest time and will definitely be blogging about the experience of meeting and booking her.

Who I want to capture our day in print?

At some point in my life, I wanted to be a photographer.

But since I neither have the talent nor the gadget to be even halfway a decent photographer (I'm more point and shoot), I'll just post some of my favorite shots of one of my favorite photographers of all time - Lane Dittoe!  I just love how his pictures are always easy on the eyes.  Dreamy... Romantic... Timeless...

This is the picture that started it all for me.  My love affair with Lane's photographs, that is.

He's got a lot of these blog-worthy pictures.

Love his shots on other wedding details as well.

*swoon*

Photo source: Lane Dittoe

Lane's got oodles more of wedding pictures that you'll love in his site.  I highly recommend you check it out.

On a side note: Mr. J and I have not decided yet on our wedding photographer yet but I'm currently eyeing Manila-based Jay Jay Lucas.  If anyone's got feedback on him, please do tell. =)

Oh, Preston Bailey...

My number priority for our wedding is event styling, food, and gown.  Yes, all three are priority and all three are number 1 on my list.  I already have an idea who I want to cater to our wedding.  Likewise, I've already set up an appointment on a bridal gown designer whose works I have long been a fan of.  It's the florist/event styling part that I'm quite.. not there yet.  There's one that gives me that feeling of almost being sure.. at least in table arrangements.  I just have not seen a non-table decor that she's made that really caught my attention and those are equally important to me as well.

Source: Preston Bailey

Oh, Preston Bailey.  Why did you have to be US-based and oh-so-expensive.  Actually, you're beyond expensive.  But then again, your work does speak for itself. =)

PS.  I like this color palette picker tool he's introduced.  I'm super digging the recommended palette I got.  There's a picture of an actual event as well to better visualize the suggested decor.

Supplier spotlight: The Glass Garden

Last week, Mr. J and I officially started with our wedding preps.  Actually, we (especially me) have been doing countless research already.

Me: the wedding gowns I like, the decor I want, and other potential wedding suppliers (photo, video, etc.)
Mr. J: deciding on whether he'll be wearing a suit or a Barong Tagalog (local embroidered formal garment worn over an undershirt), and what gown he likes on me.

Anyway, since we already agreed on the church we'll be saying our I Do's in (we've already attended mass there so no need to do an ocular anymore), the first ocular that we did is to check out our first choice of reception venue: The Glass Garden.

Located in Pasig City, this events place that is reminiscent of an English greenhouse is perfect for what I wanted.  First, I didn't want a hotel's ballroom because I wanted a garden ambience for the wedding reception.  And quite honestly, even with all the flowers in the world and the uber-talented event stylists out there, that ballroom carpet is simply off-putting for a garden theme.  Next requirement is that wherever we decide to hold the wedding dinner, it should be indoors.  And because we wanted to hold the wedding on an already significant date to us (we celebrate two anniversaries on June and July), it was definite that we will be having a rainy season celebration.  This means that an open area garden setting would be a no-no.  We could use big white tent to solve the roof issue; however, this will not address the problem of the entire grass area becoming wet during the rain.  I also didn't want just a roof with no cover/wall on the sides because strong winds may displace some of the rain shower on the sides of the venue.  For all this issues, The Glass Garden had an answer and more.  Actually, there's another venue that is bigger and has an indoor forest ambience to it.  Sadly, I don't really care for any of their accredited caterers and superb food is a big, big deal to me.

Mr. J and I liked the place and are definitely leaning towards reserving them for our date soon.  Meanwhile, check out some of the pics I took during the visit:

{Click to enlarge}

I like that there's a receiving/lounge area away from the main hall where you could have your cocktail hour and/or guest registration area.

{Click to enlarge}

The inside (can't remember which hall this is - they have two).  It wasn't too bare inside; there were plants surrounding the main hall with some trees as well.  It was air conditioned though it wasn't switched on when we had the ocular.

{Click to enlarge}

View from outside the bridal room.  The room itself was nothing to be too excited about so I didn't really bother taking a picture of it.  It was clean and spacious, so that was good enough for me.

From our talk with the venue's General Manager, Camille Garcia, she had this to say on some of my questions:

Ingress/Regress - They don't really have specific allotted time for pre and post wedding preparations.  To them, the 5 hours that they will be charging you will be from the official start of the party.  Putting on/off of decorations and the likes are not included in the 5 hours and are, in essence, free of charge.  Our understanding of this is that whatever free time available before and after your party will be your ingress and regress.

Corkage fees - They only charge for non-accredited caterers.  Bringing in of food from other suppliers like lechon (so long as you don't do the actual roasting inside the venue itself) and alcoholic beverages are free of charge.  Can you imagine how much money hotels will be losing if they did the same???

Refunds - I specifically asked what their refund rule is if in case of cancellation due to disaster (think Ondoy).  She said it was a case to case basis but they'd usually just move the event on another date.

Price lock - As of writing, the rates below will also apply for 2012 weddings since they don't have new rates yet for that year.  We didn't discuss about putting a price-lock clause in the contract but she did say that if we reserve now, they will honor whatever amount is in the contract that we sign on.

Rates for 2010 venue rental (Emerald or Diamond Garden):

Monday - Thursday          Morning: Php 60,000
                                    Evening: Php 80,000
Friday - Sunday               Morning: Php 70,000
                                    Evening: Php 85,000

For more information, they have a website with details on accredited suppliers, maps, etc.  I also have a copy of the terms and conditions plus catering packages available, so if you want a copy, just leave a comment as to where I can send them. =)

Bridal fair: Wedding Expo Philippines 2010 (17th Edition)

August is almost over and I'm ecstatic!


See, aside from September being my birthday month it also happens to be the 2nd installment (of the biannual) Wedding Expo Philippines 2010. So far, this has been the only bridal fair I have gone to (twice already) and I've never been disappointed. There's the comprehensive list of suppliers (wedding stylist/florist are my first stop every visit), really nice raffle prizes (a jeweler is giving away diamond rings), and despite the massive crowd that is always in attendance I've never felt claustrophobic due to the ample spacing between areas.

If you're interested to know more, you can find other details such as list of exhibitors, event highlights, and how to register here. Though we've been in attendance for the last 2 fairs, this will mark my and Mr. J's first time to attend as a bride and groom. Previously, I only register as a 'Guest' because we weren't officially engaged yet. Mr. J's excited too but not because we'll be seeing potential suppliers to our wedding. He's excited because as 'Bride/Groom' we get a special loot bag and he definitely wants a bag wherein we could stash all the pamphlets we get from different companies offering wedding services. You see, I have a tendency to collect a lot of flyers, booklets, samples, and other freebies I can find. Haha!

Links.. Links.. Links

LOL.

I woke up today realizing that I had forgotten to include links to the websites that I previously written about.

So here they are.  I highly recommend checking the following sites if you haven't already.

• Martha Stewart Wedding - http://www.marthastewartweddings.com/
• The Knot - http://www.theknot.com/
• Style Me Pretty - http://www.stylemepretty.com/
• Wedding Bee - http://www.weddingbee.com/
• Vera Wang - http://www.verawangonweddings.com/
• Marchesa - http://www.marchesa.com/
• Monique Lhuillier - http://www.moniquelhuillier.com/
• Michael George - http://www.michaelgeorgecustomfloral.com/
• Etsy - http://www.etsy.com/
• Weddings @ Work - http://www.weddingsatwork.com/
• Themes & Motifs - http://www.themesnmotifs.com/

PS. Feel free to comment on any other website that you feel is a must-visit, too! =)

Love 'em websites

Date: June-July 2002

 

Title: Modern Bride

That’s in reference to my first wedding magazine. 

I didn’t grow up dreaming and building images in my head of my would-be perfect wedding.  But I did grow up loving clothes, pretty flowers, and appreciating fabulous room arrangements.  Since a wedding has all that (and more), as I grew older, I couldn’t help but be in love with everything and anything wedding-y.

 

It’s borderline addiction that needs to have a fix. 

 

To this, I have the following sites to thank for satisfying my craving every time:

Martha Stewart Wedding

     The mother of all wedding information resource for me.  Seriously.  If you want pretty, functional, and cheap DIY.. Martha is the (wo)man. 

 

Image taken from Martha Stewart Wedding

 

The Knot

     Before my love affair with Martha, The Knot was my go-to for any bridal craving I have.  May it be gowns.. decors.. or even wedding rules.  Heck, I even signed up just so I could have access to info only registered users are allowed to view.  Of course, the wedding dates and details I supplied were.. far off assumptions I had to make. haha

 

Image taken from Style Me Pretty

 

Style Me Pretty

     This is THE wedding blog for me.  Need suppliers in your area?  Check.  Searching for inspiration boards?  Check.  Detailed real life weddings? All here (and more!).  And don’t even get me started on the site layout.  Style Me Pretty surely lives up to its name.

 

Wedding Bee

     Imagine Style Me Pretty except the blog posts are done by several different people.. throughout the day.  That’s as much as 25 updates in one day.  I love this site mostly for the funny and cute and occasional inspiring stories other brides/wives posts.  It still is useful for wedding-related information.  I just prefer to get mine from my other fave sites since Wedding Bee can be a little bit buzzzzzzzy for me.

 

Rose and Ruby

     When my wedding day comes (note to self: have to get engaged first.. *wink*), I’d make Ruby and Rose my inspiration for entourage dresses.  I just love how a lot of the clothes sold here are wedding-able and beyond.  I also like that their collections are always cohesive.  This is important because I have this plan of not making my girls wear the same style of dress and possibly not the same color (different hue maybe).

 

Vera Wang

     She is couture wedding attire.  She’s proven from one collection to the next why she’s on top of the wedding gown food chain.  She has also branched out on other areas like paper products.  Couture wedding stationery, anyone?  I say, why not!?

Image taken from Vera Wang

 

Marchesa

     I have loved Marchesa way before they officially launched their bridal collection.  A lot of their gowns, red carpet or not, is worthy for a bridal march.

 

Monique Lhuillier

     I was first introduced to her work when she made Lea Salonga’s (awesome Broadway star) wedding gown.  Since then, she has managed to do her big, fluffy skirt plus ribbon combo in different equally beautiful designs.

 

Image taken from Monique Lhuillier

 

Michael George

Image taken from Michael George Custom Flowers

 

     If there’s a stylist to the stars (Rachel Zoe), this guy is the florist to the stars.  I will never be able to afford him.  Perhaps, in my wildest dreams.  But even that is still debatable.  But as I have said earlier, I love me some fabulous room arrangements.  The same applies to event styling.  And Michael George?  Genius.  I also like that in his website, it’s written that they work with all budget.

 

Etsy

     Because it reminds me of Ebay only with far more gorgeous items.

 

Weddings At Work

     Local e-group where brides usually share first-hand experience/information on Philippine-based suppliers.  Very, very informative.  Very, very helpful.

 

     Image taken from Weddings At Work

 

Themes and Motifs

     Keeps me notified on the two biggest bridal fairs in the Philippines.